ASC Leadership Challenge: How to Become a More Effective Manager

﻿By Stephanie Martin, CASC

Working in the surgery center environment can seem like a
thankless task some days. The sheer volume of challenges and demands that come
across the administrator’s desk can be overwhelming. You never know when you
will need to confront a difficult patient, staff, or physician. Such situations
can make even the most resilient individuals question their career choices.

Being a leader is not for the faint of heart; however,
the rewards can be so worthwhile for those that choose to pursue it. To reap
such rewards, one must know how to manage so many issues and people in an
environment that, at times, can seem intent on destruction. Fortunately, what may
seem daunting can be tamed and better controlled with some key strategies.

Taking care of yourself is a primary component in so many
of the strategies recommended by individuals considered to be some of the best
leadership gurus. It is difficult to give what you don’t have. Taking the time
to recharge internal batteries (so to speak) provides energy to spot and
address the many challenges that come along during any given day. Eat well,
rest, exercise and spend time each day doing something you love (other than
working), whether it is reading a book, watching the stars, walking the dog or
being with family. Those moments provide meaningful respite that must not be
overlooked.

Prioritizing can provide important focus on the critical
tasks that make the most difference in your business. If your “to-do”
list is so long that a month of peaceful days would still not see it completed,
at least prioritizing the most critical items to accomplish will mean the ASC benefits
from completion of the most impactful work.

But what about all the other duties that must be
completed? That is where the next strategy comes into play.

So many leadership gurus talk about delegating duties to
others, but doing so may be as difficult as prioritizing when one must first consider
who is available to complete the task; when will they be able to get it done;
do they have the skills, talents, or abilities to get it done — the list goes on. While taking
the time to teach someone else to appropriately complete a task may take longer
than just doing the job yourself, don’t let that stop you! The investment in
the person learning to tackle the task can pay dividends in ways that aren’t
always immediately known. These include sparking an interest in leadership or
additional duties not recognized previously, expanding the individual’s
knowledge so they better understand the center in ways that change their
attitude about how work is done or uncovering a diamond in the rough who just
needed a little mentoring to shine and elevate their work performance. Approaching
the individual from the perspective of a mentoring relationship can mean the
difference between moving the process from a task-oriented activity to building
a relationship. This shift in approach helps the individual develop their own internal
motivation and enthusiasm, not only for the center but also in recognizing
their own individual potential.

Lastly, the value of continual learning should not be
overlooked or underemphasized. The vast amounts of knowledge required to be a
quality administrator span a wide depth and breadth of information. Focus on leadership
in general or areas that continue to be a challenge: financials, human
resources, life safety compliance, same-store growth or countless others. Commit
to learning something new in the most challenging areas and set goals to demonstrate
personal and professional growth. Celebrate achievements and keep adding them up.
Reviewing what you have accomplished can be healthy. It will remind you how far
you have come and can help motivate you to keep pushing yourself further.

The few takeaways highlighted in this column can serve as
a place to start your efforts toward becoming a stronger leader and manager or represent
an opportunity to enhance what you are already doing to better overcome the challenges
of these roles. The key messages I hope you will come away with are to never
give up, even when something doesn’t seem to work right away, and understand
that methods for success will vary based upon individual strengths. Finding
what works best for you is most important.